Thailand, on track to achieve its 2024 target of 35 million international tourist arrivals, is already building towards a 39 million target for 2025, shared its tourism and sports minister Sorawong Thienthong.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will launch the Amazing Thailand Grand Tourism and Sports Year 2025 campaign. This will comprise collaboration with tourism partners to offer Grand Festivals, Grand Moments, and Grand Privileges to tourists, as well as the promotion of five must-dos in Thailand – Must Taste (Thai cuisine), Must Try (Muay Thai), Must Buy (Thai fashion and local products), Must Seek (new destinations and experiences), and Must See (Thai festivals). The latter aims to diversify Thailand’s tourism appeal and spotlight lesser-visited regions across the country.
“This concept will create grand, unforgettable experiences for every traveller who visits our beloved kingdom,” said Sorawong.
Sunny Kim, vice president, global sales of Onyx Hospitality Group, which has properties across Thailand, said TAT’s focus on lesser-visited regions creates an opportunity for the hotel group to feature its hotels outside of the city to both domestic and inbound tourists.
While Thailand is already a popular destination, there are still countless hidden gems waiting to be discovered across the country.
“That’s Thailand’s beauty. You’ve been there, you know Thailand, but there are still so many things to discover,” Kim added and cited Bang Saen beach in Chon Buri province as an example. Amari The Tide Bang Saen hotel is scheduled to open there next year.
Combining traditions and modern experiences, Thailand aims to enhance its tourism offerings in several ways.
The wide popularity of Thai cuisine provides an opportunity to further promote regional culinary experiences. Since 2017, Thailand has been working with the Michelin Guide to promote gastronomy tourism. Next year, the guide will be expanded to include Chon Buri province.
Another driver of tourism is the entertainment industry. This year, Thailand saw a surge in shorthaul arrivals that reached 65 per cent of overall international tourist numbers. This was driven up by K-pop concerts.
At the same time, screen tourism has gained momentum, added Sorawong. The popularity of Thai movies and series has led many Asian tourists to locations that appeared in shows such as Phuket Old Town and Chiang Mai University.
On the sustainability front, the government is also encouraging businesses to join its Sustainable Tourism Acceleration Rating programme, which assesses businesses based on their eco-friendly practices. TAT also offers the CF-Hotels, which lists hotel operators’ carbon footprint.
Improved connectivity within the South-east Asia region is another key element of Thailand’s strategy. The kingdom is promoting travel routes with Laos through a new train service that connects the two countries. It is also collaborating with Malaysian tour operator Golden Century Tour and Travel to enhance the southern rail route.
To improve air connectivity, Thailand is working on charter flights and establishing new routes – two new routes launched in 2H2024 include a service between Xi’an and Koh Samui with Tibet Airlines, and a route from Astana to Phuket with Air Astana.
